Etched's Sohu chip is designed specifically for transformers, making it the fastest of its kind, according to the company. The firm believes that the future of AI will be dominated by transformers, and if this is the case, their chips could revolutionize the industry. However, if transformers are replaced by other architectures, Etched's chips will become obsolete. The company is partnering with TSMC to start production on their 4nm node and has already attracted engineers from major AI chip projects.
Key takeaways:
- Etched, a company specializing in AI chips, has raised $120 million in a challenge to Nvidia. The company is designing a new chip called Sohu that focuses on a critical part of AI processing: transform.
- The company believes that its team of 35 people can outperform Nvidia, and has received backing from investors such as Peter Thiel, Primary Venture Partners, and Positive Sum Ventures.
- Etched's Sohu chip is designed specifically for transformers, making it the fastest transformer chip of all time. The company believes that if transformers continue to dominate AI models, their chip will revolutionize the industry.
- Etched's founders, who dropped out of Harvard University, believe that the future of AI lies in scaling and specialization. They argue that as AI models become larger and more complex, specialized chips like Sohu will become inevitable.